Arthritis

Squatting puts tremendous stress on the knees, and doing it habitually appears to contribute to arthritis later in life. To determine the extent of that risk, Boston University medical researchers studied more than 1,800 men and women age 60 and older in China, where squatting is common.

Arthroscopic knee surgery for arthritis -- a procedure performed hundreds of thousands of times a year -- does not reduce joint pain or improve knee function, according to new research released Wednesday. The study of 178 adults with moderate to severe arthritis found that the surgery, in which damaged bone and cartilage are removed through tiny incisions, had no benefits beyond nonsurgical treatments, such as physical therapy. The report in the New England Journal of Medicine confirmed the results of a 2002 study that caused many orthopedic surgeons to discontinue the practice.

Experiments for the first time have reproduced a form of human arthritis in genetically altered rats and confirmed a previously established link between a gene involved in regulating the immune system and this form of arthritis, researchers said Thursday. The achievement means researchers now have a reliable animal model to aid studies of ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, psoriatic arthritis and related diseases.

Arava, a new drug for rheumatoid arthritis that helps relieve symptoms but is a far cry from a cure, won approval Friday from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA warned that Arava is also too dangerous to use during pregnancy--bad news for many of the estimated 2 million rheumatoid arthritis sufferers in the U.S., most of whom are women.

Allene Goodman can remember the precise day her arthritis began taking control of her life. On Aug. 3, 1987, Goodman, a medical transcriptionist, began to shiver uncontrollably, unable to warm her hands and feet. Then her feet began to swell. A trip to the nearest rheumatologist, 158 miles from her home in Caledonia, Miss., confirmed that she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, and that day marked the beginning of a steady acceleration of her disease. The worst part, she recalls, was the pain.

For many years, Bob Murphy was among the best at beating a golf course. Lately, he has been having the same success in a more serious matter. Murphy was forced to abandon the regular PGA Tour in January of 1989 when his arthritis became so bad he couldn't grip a golf club. But he is a glib, knowledgeable player and found a job as a TV commentator on ESPN for the senior tour. Murphy suffers from a type of arthritis known as psoriatic.

A popular arthritis drug licensed only last fall may be linked to serious infections that have killed six people, the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. About 25,000 people have taken the drug Enbrel, prescribed to treat rheumatoid arthritis, since it went on the market in November, and 30 individuals have been reported becoming ill.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a crippling and painful disorder that causes stiffness and joint swelling. Because joint movements are often painful, many sufferers eventually become seriously debilitated. Although current treatments can reduce pain and inflammation, and slow the chronic disease's progression, these powerful medications can have unpleasant side effects and weaken the immune system. Tai chi may help.

A new approach to therapy of rheumatoid arthritis and many other diseases--such as diabetes, septic shock and inflammatory bowel disease--may arise from new research reported Thursday in the British journal Nature by a group of Colorado scientists. Molecular biologists from Synergen Inc.

The sweeping Medicare legislation that President Bush is expected to sign today will open a new front in the battle among biotechnology companies for the lucrative rheumatoid arthritis market. Remicade, an intravenous medication made by Johnson & Johnson Inc., is the only biotechnology drug for rheumatoid arthritis currently covered by Medicare, the federal insurance program for the elderly and disabled. But beginning next year, Medicare also will pay for Amgen Inc.'